Dog and cat meat trade to be banned, Indonesian government vows

At an extraordinary meeting between Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition, government officials announced they would support a ban on the trade in, and deny veterinary certification for, dog and cat meat.

A member of the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition with a rescued dog.Credit:Dog Meat-Free Indonesia

Those present at the meeting included representatives of livestock and animal health agencies, animal quarantine specialists, veterinarians, the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association and several non-governmental organisations from all provinces in Indonesia.

The Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition is made up of HSI, Four Paws, Jakarta Animal Aid Network, Animal Friends Jogja and Change for Animals Foundation.

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The dog- and cat-meat trades currently operate in breach of existing Indonesian laws that are intended to safeguard public health and safety, as well as rules to protect animals from cruelty, the coalition said.

The laws have largely been ignored and unenforced for decades, allowing for the theft and slaughter of millions of dogs and cats.

Members of the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition protest against the killing of dogs for meat in their country.Credit:Dog Meat-Free Indonesia

The weekend meeting was unprecedented, the coalition said, showing that officials from the highest levels of government had finally recognised the animal suffering, and risk to human health and safety that the dog and cat meat trade poses.

A nationwide ban on dog meat would immediately safeguard millions of dogs and cats across the country from theft and slaughter.

It would also help eliminate human rabies, which is still endemic in 24 out of 33 of the country's provinces.

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Once the ban is in place, Indonesia will join Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore, which all have laws prohibiting the dog meat trade, on the grounds of animal welfare, human health and disease control, HSI UK spokeswoman Wendy Higgins said.

Dr Syamsul, the director of veterinary public health, warned of the impact the dog meat trade was having on animal welfare.

After watching the coalition's investigation footage, he called the trade "torture for animals”. He also cited the risk the trade posed to Indonesia's reputation, warning: "Foreign countries find a low standard of animal welfare and cruelty unacceptable and will stop visiting Indonesia which is very bad for our tourism.”

He added: "Dog meat or any animal that is not registered as farm animals, is illegal” and that the way in which the dogs were handled and transported were in themselves a violation of animal welfare and had to be stopped.

Campaigners revealed last Monday that they found the infected carcass at the infamous Tomohon Market in North Sulawesi in May.

The warning came as Indonesia prepares to host the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, the nation’s capital, and Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra, in August and September, with millions of tourists expected. About 12 million tourists visit Indonesia each year.

Lola Webber, head of the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition said: “The extreme cruelty of Indonesia’s dog and cat meat trades is intolerable under both Indonesian and international animal welfare standards. The government is right to be concerned about the impact of these trades on its international reputation. With our growing awareness of animal sentience comes a greater responsibility to protect animals from cruelty.

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"Customs evolve and the nationwide movement from within Indonesia calling for an end to these trades is proof that Indonesia is ready to banish the dog meat trade to the history books of shame and illegality. This latest announcement will be celebrated globally."

Four Paws spokeswoman Dr Katherine Polak said the group was "pleased to hear, after years of campaigning, that leading veterinary officials in Indonesia finally recognise the public health risk, threat to tourism and animal welfare issues the dog meat trade poses".

"We look forward to working closely with the Indonesian government in the near future to make dog meat-free Indonesia a reality.

“Given the growing evidence of the risk the trade poses to rabies transmission, coupled with the evidence of animal cruelty and illegality, the international community wholeheartedly welcomes and applauds this groundbreaking development in Indonesia.”

Nicola Beynon, head of campaigns for Humane Society International in Australia, said: "This is a major milestone in the global fight against the dog meat trade. Humane Society International is very proud to be part of the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition. Our Indonesian partners have been instrumental in campaigning for an end of this trade for many years. Tourists all over the world will surely welcome any move by the Indonesian government to ban the dog meat trade across the country.

"We hope that this bold step will send a strong message to other countries across Asia, such as China, South Korea, India and Vietnam, where 30 million dogs and 10 million cats suffer unimaginable cruelty for the meat trade, many of them stolen pets. We stand ready to work with the Indonesian authorities to implement a robust ban, end the slaughter, and bring us one step closer to shutting down these dreadful trades for good."

In response to questions from Fairfax Media last week, the Indonesian embassy in Canberra said that Indonesia's Criminal Code prohibits intentional and unnecessary harming of animals.

"Law number 18 of 2009 addresses animal welfare, including the requirement that measures are taken in the interest of animal welfare in relation to capture, husbandry, slaughter and transport," a spokesman said.

The embassy has been approached for further comment in light of the weekend meeting.